Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-08-17
-sTAUNToN SPECTATOR AND GENERAL ADVERTISE

~ UuTHcu CurD ana lew pieces OF small
timber The witness thought it would take
about two hours for such bridge to burn.
The other bridges on the road had been on
ire this year, but had been seen in time to
prevent accidents.
timothy Coughlan, the section foreman,
testified that he had four men helping him
on his 81 miles. He received orders on
wednesday to 90 over his section and see
that the bridges and tracks were all right.
Coughlan went to the east end ofthe section
and burned the grass little over half a
mile from the wreck and put the fire out.
lie examined the bridge about five O'Clock
and found no smoke about it, and other
wise it was all right. About three weeks
ago the grass under the bridge had been
cut away for ten feet from the bridge tim
bers, and he had no idea how the bridge
should have caught fire.
Christopher Ennis, the roadmaster for the
line from the State line to Peoria, said:
my opinion is that the bridge was set on
fire by somebody. My train was the last
train over before the special, and if there
was fire there, the men would have discover
ed it. The bridge could have been burned
In two or three hours. About three years
ago two attempts were made to ditch the
ten O'Clock passenger tra in at that bridge,
and we kept Waterman there for six
weeks; distractions were piled ON the track.
1t is very lonesome place, far from any
houses"
This special concludes with the list of
the killed locating them by name and resi-
dence as far as it was possible.
President E. F. Leonard, of the Toledo
Peoria and Western Company, said to re-
porter that he had made careful but me-
cessarily brief investigation of the accident,
and could in no way account for it unless
On the presumption that the bridge was set
on fire deliberately by fiends for the pur-
pose of wrecking the train and robbing the
passengers. TO say that he deplored the
accident but family expressed his feelings.
| President Leonard came from Springfield
| in the afternoon, accompanied by Colonel
John Stephens, general solicitor of the
| road.
oIITICIsING THE RAILROAD MANAGEMENT.
CHICAGO, Aug. ia special from
Chatsworth says: "There were very few
stinulants, or in fact medical appliances of
assistance of any kind on the ground. A
man from Piper City, whose name could
not be learned, brought demijohn of
whiskey. but the railroad people seem to
have done practically nothing. Men from
Chatsworth who worked all night at the
wreck, were refused passage on the train
going back to the village, and had to tramp
home in half -fainting condition for want
of Q bite to eat. 1t seemed to take the rail
road four hours to get an engine ready to
drag Car to or from the village. anu the
only persons allowed to ride were railroad
officials. The people here are very bitter
against the railroad company, and say that
the officials, whether from The demoraliza.
ton or excitement Or from absolute pig
| hesdedness, acted most inhumauly in many
cases, and treated the wounded most shame
fully all round. In fact, they did not treat
/ the wounded at all, but left them to the
caro- Of volunteers. There was nothing to
hinder the officials from runniug trains
back and forth--eastward to Gilman and
westward to Chatsworth- through the
night, carrying away the wounded and
bringing back supplies. Nothing OF the
kind was done. The whole thing was just
Of piece with the stupidity that allowed
prairie fires to rage all along the liae, and
that took no precautions to see that the
bridges were not burned down. It is prob
aba that an investigation will result in
some OF the officers being held crminally
responsible for the disaster. The facs that
fires were raging all around there was
dry prairie grass grew up right to the line,
Was or should have been known to the Off
cials, and the fact that the wooden trestle
work across the euivert wss burned by the
sun until it was infiammable as finder was
also known or should have been. If ordin.
airy precautions had been observed the acct
dent would not have occurred. AS already
stated, the bridge must have been burning
at least tyQ hop"s before the train arrived.
ARRESTS,
CHICAGO, Aug. 15.-The Times to-day
has a dispatch stating that two men have
been arrested on charge of being the in
cendiaries who caused the Chatsworth hor.
gor. The authority given for the informa-
ton is ma1 named L. Dobb, who has beer
working for some time past for q farmer
named Morris Kepoya about three miles
from Kentland, Ind. They we've given q
preliminary examination before justice OF
| Tia peace and the proof against them was
considered strong enough to hold them III
jail where they are now confined pending
further proceedings.